The first certified PassivHaus in British Columbia is the <a href="http://www.markenprojects.com/en/rainbow-passive-house-duplex.html" target="_blank">Rainbow Prefab Duplex</a> in Whistler. Designed by <a href="http://www.markenprojects.com/" target="_blank">Marken Projects</a> and built by <a href="http://www.whistlerpassivehouse.com/" target="_blank">Dürfeld Constructors</a> and <a href="http://www.bcpassivehouse.com/" target="_blank">BC Passivehouse</a>, this duplex uses 90 percent less energy for heating and cooling than a conventionally built home. The home was completed in early 2012 and was just awarded its certification from the Passive House Institute in Darmstadt this January and is built with locally-fabricated cellulose-filled panels by BC Passivehouse.

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Rainbow Passive House-Marken Projects

Each home in the Rainbow Passive House Duplex is 1,500 sq ft and comes with an unfinished basement, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

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Rainbow Passive House-Marken Projects

Rooftop solar hot water system.

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Rainbow Passive House-Marken Projects

The home achieves a 90% reduction in energy use because of its super tight envelope, high performance cellulose insulation, a solar hot water system, high performance heat recovery ventilation system, and a subsoil heat exchanger.

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Rainbow Passive House-Marken Projects

The Rainbow Passive House Duplex was built using a prefab panelized system with local materials by <a href="http://www.bcpassivehouse.com/theprefabpanelizedsystem.html" target="_blank">BC Passivehouse</a>, which is Canada’s first manufacturing plant prefabricating a panelized system that adheres to the PassivHaus standard.

“Showcasing affordable high performance building design and construction was one of the main goals for this project,” says Alex Maurer, director of Marken Projects. “At the same time using regional products from sustainable sources where possible was as important.”

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Rainbow Passive House-Marken Projects

The duplex was awarded PassivHaus certification in January 2013.

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Rainbow Passive House-Marken Projects

View of the living room out into the neighborhood.

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Rainbow Passive House-Marken Projects

Assembly of the Rainbow Passive House.

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Rainbow Passive House-Marken Projects

“We had a great response from visitors at the open houses”, says Lydia Durfeld marketing manager at prefab builder BC Passive House. ”Holding tours throughout the construction process not only gave people the opportunity to see the build-up and construction techniques that go into the making of a Passive House but also enabled them to experience first-hand the high-degree of comfort that is achieved.”

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Rainbow Passive House-Marken Projects

A prefab panel is craned into place.

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Rainbow Passive House-Marken Projects

The panels are fabricated in BC and are designed specifically to meet passive house standards.

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Rainbow Passive House-Marken Projects

A view of the insulation used.

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Rainbow Passive House-Marken Projects

The first certified PassivHaus in British Columbia is the Rainbow Prefab Duplex in Whistler. Designed by Marken Projects and built by Dürfeld Constructors and BC Passivehouse, this duplex uses 90 percent less energy for heating and cooling than a conventionally built home. The home was completed in early 2012 and was just awarded its certification from the Passive House Institute in Darmstadt this January and is built with locally-fabricated cellulose-filled panels by BC Passivehouse.